The man who fatally shot 22-year-old mother-of-two Chozyn Koroheke at point blank range has been jailed for life, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
Chozyn Koroheke died after she was shot. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
Turiarangi Tai was sentenced by Justice Muir in the High Court in Auckland this afternoon.
Tai had denied murdering Ms Koroheke, but was found guilty in March of shooting and killing her with a 12-gauge double-barrelled shotgun in her Pakuranga home last April.
Tai shot her in front of her brother after weeks of vicious attacks on her, including with a metal pole and a rock.
Before sentencing, Ms Koroheke's father made a powerful statement about the devastating impact of her death.
Jason Koroheke told the court and a packed and tearful public gallery that he could not bring himself to tell her young children their mother was dead and told them she was an angel.
"She says I want to hurry up and go to sleep so I can talk to Mummy," he said.
He did not put Ms Koroheke in a casket when he brought her home so her children, who were four and two, could cuddle her on her bed.
Mr Koroheke said he was still struggling with his precious daughter's death and had learned the places where he can privately cry.
"In the car when I've driving, when I'm at the pool swimming, at the back of the yard where I work, where I am sleeping," he said.
Mr Koroheke said it sickened him to know the last thing Ms Koroheke heard was Tai's 111 call and his grovelling apologies and regret.
Ms Koroheke's aunty, Claudia Koroheke, spoke of her shock and sadness at seeing the bruises on her body from previous violence when she dressed her for her funeral.
She came into the world perfect, but left it battered and bruised, Ms Koroheke said.
In a statement, her brother who witnessed her shooting said he was angry all the time and missed his best friend.
He still had daily nightmares where he dials 111 and cannot speak, he said.
Justice Muir said he had been torn about balancing the three strikes law that compelled him to impose the maximum sentence of life without parole unless it was manifestly unjust to do so.
He adjourned sentencing for an hour to consider the issue.
However, though Tai was a "recidivist violent and somewhat cowardly thug" there was a glimmer of hope for his rehabilitation in the time he was in prison, he said.
It would be up to a parole board to decide when he got out which would be when he was at least 40, he said.
Turiarangi Tai in the High Court in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Laura Tupou
